Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) vs State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) (C) and State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) (D) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 63% and 44% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 57/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 19.0 percentage points (63.1% vs 44.1%). Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) covers 245,000 participants.
| Metric | Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) | State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 57/100 (C)* | 42/100 (D) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 63.1%* | 44.1% |
| Total Assets | $36.2B | $22.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $57.4B | $51.0B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $21.2B* | $28.5B |
| Participants | 245,000 | 218,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.4%* | 5.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | critical |
| Sponsor | State of Pennsylvania | State of Illinois |
Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 57/100 (C) compared to State Universities Retirement System of Illinois (SURS) at 42/100 (D). Funding ratios differ by 19.0 percentage points (63.1% vs 44.1%). Pennsylvania State Employees Retirement System (SERS) covers 245,000 participants.